Lil Tjay
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Tione Jayden Merritt (born April 30, 2001), known professionally as Lil Tjay, is an American rapper and singer-songwriter. He rose to prominence in 2017 with his song "Resume", and then the release of his breakthrough song "Brothers" which led him to sign with
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
later during that year. Lil Tjay's debut studio album, ''
True 2 Myself ''True 2 Myself'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was released on October 11, 2019 through Columbia Records. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including CashMoneyAP, TnTXD, JD On Tha Track and ...
'', was released in 2019. The following year, he released the mixtape ''
State of Emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
'' that features only drill artists from New York City. ''True 2 Myself'' debuted at number 5 on the ''Billboard'' 200, marking the album his first charted release. His second studio album, ''
Destined 2 Win ''Destined 2 Win'' is the second studio album by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was released on April 2, 2021, through Columbia Records. This serves as the follow-up to his 2019 debut album "True 2 Myself (Lil Tjay album), True 2 Myself". The produc ...
'', was released in 2021 and included the single "
Calling My Phone "Calling My Phone" is a song by American recording artists Lil Tjay and 6lack from the former's second studio '' Destined 2 Win'' (2021). It was released on February 10, 2021, through Columbia and Sony. Background The song was steadily teased by ...
", a collaboration with fellow recording artist
6lack Ricardo Archibald Valentine Jr. (born June 24, 1992), known professionally as 6lack (stylized as 6LACK, pronounced "black"), is an American singer and rapper. He initially gained notable recognition following the release of his single, "Prblms" ...
, his highest-charting song yet.


Early life

Merritt was born and raised on Ryer Ave & 183rd St in the Fordham neighborhood of the
Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
borough of New York City. He was raised by a single mother and had two younger siblings in what was described as a "roomy" apartment. Merritt called himself the problematic child out of the three, as he would often get himself into petty robberies and school fights. At the age of 15, Merritt was arrested for one of his robberies and was sentenced for a year to a
youth detention center In criminal justice systems, a youth detention center, known as a juvenile detention center (JDC),Stahl, Dean, Karen Kerchelich, and Ralph De Sola. ''Abbreviations Dictionary''. CRC Press, 20011202. Retrieved 23 August 2010. , . juvenile det ...
where he would begin to write raps; they included one of his hit songs "Resume", which he released on
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
. Merritt's childhood friend, Smelly, was fatally stabbed in August 2016. Merritt pays tribute to his childhood friend in a number of his songs referencing his name, "Smelly."


Career


2016–2019: Beginnings, record deal, and ''True 2 Myself''

In 2016, Merritt began releasing music on
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
. "Resume", one of his first songs, was released when Merritt was 16 years old, and quickly began spreading online. On March 10, 2018, Merritt competed and placed first at the Coast 2 Coast LIVE NYC All Ages Edition, where his performance gained the attention of a record label A&R who was in attendance to judge the showcase. Soon after, Merritt released the single "
Brothers A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...
", which became his biggest song at the time and led to him signing with
Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
. Released on YouTube in 2018, Merritt earned himself recognition through his sampling of Justin Bieber's "Baby" on his single, "None of Your Love." Within the first ten months of Merritt's music career, he had released five tracks that recorded over one million plays on
SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
. "Brothers", "Resume", "Goat", and "Leaked" each accumulated tens of millions of streams. In July 2018, Merritt worked with producer
CashMoneyAP Alex Christian Jean Petit (born May 19, 1995), professionally known as CashMoneyAP, is a French record producer, songwriter and record executive. He is best known for posting "type beats" on video platform YouTube and on beat-selling platform Be ...
to release "None of Your Love", which also amassed tens of millions of plays. Merritt released his debut EP ''No Comparison'' at the end of 2018. In January 2019, Merritt was featured on fellow rapper
Polo G Taurus Tremani Bartlett (born January 6, 1999), known professionally as Polo G, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence with his singles "Finer Things (Polo G song), Finer Things" and "Pop Out" (featuring Lil Tjay). His debut album ''Die a ...
's single "
Pop Out "Pop Out" is a song by American rapper Polo G featuring the vocals of Lil Tjay and was recorded for the former's debut album, ''Die a Legend (2019)''. The single was released on February 1, 2019, by Columbia Records, while the music video for ...
", which peaked at number 11 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In July, he was featured on boy band PrettyMuch's "Lying". Later that year, he released an EP titled ''F.N''; the project's lead single, " F.N", peaked at number 56 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and became his first solo charting song. Merritt released his debut album ''
True 2 Myself ''True 2 Myself'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was released on October 11, 2019 through Columbia Records. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including CashMoneyAP, TnTXD, JD On Tha Track and ...
'' on October 11, 2019. It debuted and peaked at number 5 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. In December, he was featured on a remix of 24kGoldn's song " Valentino".


2020–2021: ''State of Emergency'' and ''Destined 2 Win''

In early 2020, Merritt reached the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 again with his single "20/20", which peaked at number 94 on the chart. On May 8, 2020, Merritt released the EP ''
State of Emergency A state of emergency is a situation in which a government is empowered to be able to put through policies that it would normally not be permitted to do, for the safety and protection of its citizens. A government can declare such a state du ...
'', which focused heavily on
drill music Drill is a subgenre of hip hop music that originated in Chicago streets in the early 2010s. It is sonically similar to the trap music subgenre and lyrically similar to the gangsta rap subgenre. Drill music progressed into the American mainstre ...
, a popular subgenre in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
. The seven-song EP included the track "Zoo York", featuring
Fivio Foreign Maxie Lee Ryles III (born March 29, 1990), known by his stage name Fivio Foreign, is an American rapper from New York. He rose to fame in 2019 with his single "Big Drip", which spawned a remix with rappers Lil Baby and Quavo. He is signed to fel ...
and Pop Smoke, which peaked at number 65 on the Hot 100. In July, Merritt appeared on Pop Smoke's debut posthumous album, ''
Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon ''Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Pop Smoke. It was posthumously released on July 3, 2020, by Victor Victor Worldwide and Republic Records, and a deluxe edition of the album that incl ...
'', on the track "
Mood Swings A mood swing is an extreme or sudden change of mood. Such changes can play a positive part in promoting problem solving and in producing flexible forward planning, or be disruptive. When mood swings are severe, they may be categorized as par ...
", which reached number 17 on the Hot 100. On August 11, Merritt was included on '' XXL''s 2020 Freshman Class. In October, Merritt hinted at a new project on
Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
. On February 12, 2021, Merritt released his single "
Calling My Phone "Calling My Phone" is a song by American recording artists Lil Tjay and 6lack from the former's second studio '' Destined 2 Win'' (2021). It was released on February 10, 2021, through Columbia and Sony. Background The song was steadily teased by ...
", a collaboration with Atlanta singer
6lack Ricardo Archibald Valentine Jr. (born June 24, 1992), known professionally as 6lack (stylized as 6LACK, pronounced "black"), is an American singer and rapper. He initially gained notable recognition following the release of his single, "Prblms" ...
, which was accompanied by a music video directed by Cam Busby. The song debuted at number three on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, becoming the highest-charting single of Lil Tjay's career. On March 19, Merritt released "
Headshot A head shot or headshot is a modern (usually digital) portrait in which the focus is on the person. The term is applied usually for professional profile images on social media, images used on online dating profiles, the 'about us page' of a cor ...
", a collaboration with Polo G and
Fivio Foreign Maxie Lee Ryles III (born March 29, 1990), known by his stage name Fivio Foreign, is an American rapper from New York. He rose to fame in 2019 with his single "Big Drip", which spawned a remix with rappers Lil Baby and Quavo. He is signed to fel ...
as the second single from his second studio album, ''
Destined 2 Win ''Destined 2 Win'' is the second studio album by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was released on April 2, 2021, through Columbia Records. This serves as the follow-up to his 2019 debut album "True 2 Myself (Lil Tjay album), True 2 Myself". The produc ...
'', which was released on April 2, 2021. The album consists of twenty-one tracks. On October 22, Merritt released the lead single to his upcoming third studio album '' Not In The Mood'' with Fivio Foreign and
Kay Flock Kevin Perez (born April 20, 2003), known professionally as Kay Flock, is an American rapper. Hailing from the Bronx, he began his musical career in 2020, he rose to fame through a variety of Singles, most notably "Not in the Mood" by Lil Tjay, ...
. The single was teased in snippets using TikTok from September prior to its release.


2022–present: ''Strictly 4 My Fans'' and untitled third studio album

In early March 2022, Merritt began teasing a new song titled " In My Head" which uses a sample of
Iyaz Keidran Jones (born 15 April 1987), better known by his stage name Iyaz, is a British Virgin Islands singer and songwriter, formerly signed with the record label Beluga Heights Records. He is known for his singles " Replay", "Solo" and " Prett ...
’s " Replay". It was eventually released on April 1, 2022. On April 24, Merritt released a freestyle "Lavish" on his
YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel. The following day, he announced his EP ''Strictly 4 My Fans''. On August 26, 2022, Merritt released his single "Beat the Odds," which details his near-fatal shooting and an update on his recovery. On November 17, 2022, Merritt teased a trailer for his single "Give You What You Want," which was released the same day at 4pm on Youtube.


2022 shooting

On June 22, 2022, Merritt was shot seven times during an attempted robbery in Edgewater,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. He was flown to
Hackensack University Medical Center Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) is a 781-bed non-profit, research and teaching hospital providing tertiary and healthcare needs located seven miles (11 km) west of New York City, in Hackensack, Bergen County, New Jersey. As ...
and underwent emergency surgery, while a second victim—22-year-old Antoine Boyd—who is friends with Merritt, was also shot once and was in stable condition. Meanwhile, the shooter was also hit by gunfire, and escaped with help from an unidentified co-conspirator. The Bergen County Prosecutor's Office reported that the shooting did not appear random, and that one victim was upgraded from critical to stable condition, while the other was in good condition. Later that day, police arrested 27-year-old Mohamed Konate, who was charged with three counts of first-degree
attempted murder Attempted murder is a crime of attempt in various jurisdictions. Canada Section 239 of the ''Criminal Code'' makes attempted murder punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment. If a gun is used, the minimum sentence is four, five or seven ye ...
, three counts of first-degree armed robbery, and multiple weapons offenses. Jeffery Valdez, who was with Merritt but was not injured, and Antoine Boyd were both charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, but charges were later dropped. Merritt was not charged with any crime. On June 23, 2022, it was reported that Merritt was still unconscious following the shooting. Days following a lack of any credible updates on Merritt's condition, rumors began to surface claiming that he was paralyzed and possibly brain dead. However, multiple sources later disproved these rumors, as news came out on July 1, 2022, stating that Merritt was still hospitalized but "alert and talking." On August 24, 2022, Merrit uploaded an update video on his social media accounts. In the video, he states how he's doing better and is "going to come back stronger than ever" while wearing a neck brace. On August 26, 2022, Merrit released his single "Beat the Odds," which details his near-fatal experience and recovery.


Legal Issues

On January 16, 2023, Merritt was arrested in the Bronx, New York, and was placed in police custody, following a traffic stop. Merritt was on his way to film with fellow NYC rapper
Ice Spice Isis Gaston (born January1, 2000), known professionally as Ice Spice, is an American rapper. She grew up in the Bronx, New York City, and began her career in 2021 after meeting record producer RiotUSA while attending State University of New Y ...
, at the time of the arrest. The police found a handgun in the vehicle, before arresting him. He has allegedly been charged with weapon possession.


Artistry

Influenced by his upbringing in
the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...
, Lil Tjay is a melodic rapper who frequently incorporates
Auto-Tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-Tu ...
in his songs. He has drawn comparisons to fellow New York rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie. In an interview with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', he revealed that his biggest musical influences are
Drake Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * ...
,
Meek Mill Robert Rihmeek Williams (born May 6, 1987), known professionally as Meek Mill, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he embarked on his music career as a battle rapper, and later formed a short-lived rap group, ...
, and Usher. In the same interview, Lil Tjay described his music as having a melodic sound when singing or rapping about his past struggles. Lil Tjay also credits his success to his year spent in prison, where he claims that his ability to write songs peaked. In ''Pitchfork'''s featured article on Lil Tjay, he is referred to as a "hip-hop heartthrob". Later in the interview, Lil Tjay explained that he is often called the "Bronx Justin Bieber" because of his sampling
Justin Bieber Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Bieber is recognized for his genre-melding musicianship and has played an influential role in modern-day popular music. He was discovered by American record executive Scooter ...
's "
Baby An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...
" on his song, "None of Your Love".


Live performances

Lil Tjay accompanied
Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
rapper
Lil Mosey Lathan Moses Stanley Echols (born January 25, 2002), known professionally as Lil Mosey, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame in late 2017 with the release of his single "Pull Up". Mosey's debut studio album '' Northsbe ...
on his nationwide tour throughout 2019. He also has performed at the three-day Rolling Loud
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a East Coast of the United States, coastal metropolis and the County seat, county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade C ...
music festival, along with
Migos Migos () is an American hip hop trio from Lawrenceville, Georgia, founded in 2008. The group was originally composed of Southern rappers Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia; Offset and Takeoff were born and raised in Law ...
, Travis Scott, and Kid Cudi in
Miami Gardens, Florida Miami Gardens is a city in north-central Miami-Dade County, Florida. It is located north of Downtown Miami with city boundaries that stretch from I-95 and Northeast 2nd Avenue to its east to Northwest 47th and Northwest 57th Avenues to its w ...
in May 2019 and at the
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
festival in December. He frequently appears and performs on concerts with close friend Jay Gwuapo.


Discography

Albums * ''
True 2 Myself ''True 2 Myself'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was released on October 11, 2019 through Columbia Records. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including CashMoneyAP, TnTXD, JD On Tha Track and ...
'' (2019) * ''
Destined 2 Win ''Destined 2 Win'' is the second studio album by American rapper Lil Tjay. It was released on April 2, 2021, through Columbia Records. This serves as the follow-up to his 2019 debut album "True 2 Myself (Lil Tjay album), True 2 Myself". The produc ...
'' (2021)


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lil Tjay 2001 births Living people American child musicians Columbia Records artists East Coast hip hop musicians Trap musicians Rappers from the Bronx 21st-century American rappers American shooting survivors Prisoners and detainees of New York (state) American people convicted of robbery African-American male rappers African-American male singer-songwriters 21st-century African-American male singers American hip hop singers People from the Bronx Drill musicians Musicians from New York City American contemporary R&B singers Shooting survivors